Steaming iron



J. E. WRIGHT STEAMING IRON May 15, 1934.

Filed July 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Il /l INVENTOR. (/RMES E. WRIq-HT.

A T OEINEY.

May 15, 1934.

STEAMING IRON Filed July 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :5 i. g- 5 10 24 2s 41 73 I 64 96 52 v 5 20 I 40 INVENTOR. James E. WRIGHT- 7 5 BY 9 3 3 W 92 ATTOR BY.

J. E. WRIGHT 58,876

Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in steaming irons.

The general object of the invention is to provide electrically actuated means for controlling the passage of steam to a steaming iron.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved base member for a steaming iron.

An additional object of my invention is to provide an improved steaming iron.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an iron embodying the features of my invention showing the valve control and steam supply system.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of my improved iron, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base member. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the iron shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 2. Fig. '7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section through the steam control valve.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring connections between the control switch and the control valve, and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modification of my invention.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have indicated my improved steaming iron generally at 10. As shown the iron 10 comprises a base member 12 having a cover 13 secured thereon by a plurality of screws 14 and positioned between the base and the cover I provide a packing member 15. An electric heating element 16 is positioned on the cover 13 and a weighted member 17 is positioned on the heating element while they are both clamped to the cover 13 by nuts 18 which engage threaded studs 19 extending upwardly from the cover 13.

Positioned on the base 12 there is provided a housing 20 which is retained in position by a threaded sleeve 21 which engages a nut member 22 secured to the weighted member 17. The cover 20 is provided with a handle which includes a pair of spaced lugs 23 and a grip or holding portion 24. The iron 10 further includes a thermostatic heat control device which includes a body portion 25 which is positioned in a recess 26 provided in the base 12 and in an aperture 27 provided in the cover 13.

In the upper face of the base 12 I provide a pair of grooves 28 and 29 which communicate adjacent the front of the base and converge outwardly away from each other towards the rear of the base. The rear end of the groove 29 is spaced from the rear end of the base while the groove 28 is provided with a lateral portion 30 which extends transversely of the base and is positioned intermediate the rear of the base and the rear end of the groove 29. 5

Communicating with the groove 28 and 29 am. extending through the base 12 I provide a plurality of small apertures 31 and communicating with the lateral portion 30 of the groove 28 and extending through the base 12 I provide a plurality of similar apartures 32.

In the upper surface of the base 12 I provide a grooved channel 33 which communicates with the grooves 28 and 29 at the juncture of the grooves and which extends rearwardly in serpentine form between the grooves 28 and 29. On the rear of the base 12 I provide a threaded boss 34 which is provided with an aperture 35 which extends into the base and communicates with the channel 33. Positioned in the channel 33 ad- 0 jacent the rear of the base I provide a fine wire mesh tube 36.

The sides of the base 12 are made concave as indicated at 37 and terminating in a thin lower flange 38. This construction of the sides of the base allows the flange 38 to operate under buttons, between pleats and the like without unduly distorting the same. Furthermore with the base so shaped the operator has a clear vision of the work adjacent the sides of the iron.

Secured to the threaded boss 34 by a nut 39 I provide a metal tube 40 which extends upwardly from the base and has one end of a flexible tube 41 connected thereto and the other end of which is connected to a fitting 42 on a steam supply pipe 43.

The steam pipe 43 communicates With a steam cylinder 44 into which steam is conveyed through a pipe 45 from a suitable source of live steam. Extending from the bottom of the steam cylinder 44 I provide a pipe 46 which communicates with a steam trap 4'7 from which condensation is conveyed through a pipe 48.

As shown the hose 41 is supported in a trough member 43 which is pivotally connected to as at 43 to a standard 43 pivotally mounted in brackets 43 on the steam drum 44. The trough member 43 is adapted to be retained in position by a coiled spring 43, one end of which engages an arm on the trough member and the other endof which is anchored to a bracket 43 Interposed in the pipe line 43 I provide a throttle valve 49 and betweenjhe steam drum 44 and the throttle valve 49 I provide a control valve 50. As shown the control valve 50 includes a valve closure member 51 which is normally urged to a closed position by a coiled spring 52 and includes an operating stem 53 which extends out of the valve housing through a suitable packing gland.

Secured to the valve 50 as by threaded engagement with a portion thereof as indicated at 55, I provide a frame 56 on which I mount a magnetic member 57. As shown the magnetic member 5'7 includes a pair of spaced coils 58 which surround cores 59 which are connected by a bar 60. On one of the cores 59 I pivotally mount an armature as at 62 and 63 which extends to adjacent the outer core.

Positioned in an aperture 64 in the bar 60 I provide a rod 65 which at one end engages the end of the valve stem 53 and at the opposite end is adapted to be engaged by a set screw 66 provided on the armature 63.

Surrounding the coils 58 and the armature 63 I preferably provide a housing 67 which may be secured to the frame 56 by screws 68 and on the open end of the housing 67 I provide a cover 69 which is secured to the housing by screws '70.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the coils 58 are energized the free end of the armature 63 will be attracted towards the adjacent core 59 whereupon the set screw 66 will move the rod 65 towards the valve 50 and the rod 65 will move the valve stem 53 and the valve closure member 51 against the action of the spring 52 to an open position thereby allowing free passage of steam through the pipe 43.

For operating the magnetic member 57 I provide a switch which I have indicated generally at 72 and shown in detail in Figs. 6 and '7. As shown the switch 72 includes a body portion 73 which is made of an electrically insulated material and includes an arm 74 by means of which the switch is secured to the forward leg 23 of the iron handle by a plurality of bolts '75 and nuts 76. The body portion 73 includes a chamber 77 having an open bottom which is closed by a plate 78 secured in position by a plurality of screws 79 which engage threaded sleeves 80 molded in the body portion.

In'the body portion 77 at the end opposite the closure plate 78 I provide an aperture 81 in which a plunger 82 is positioned. The plunger 82 is made of an electrically insulated material and includes an enlarged head 82, a cross bar 83 and a reduced portion 84. Surrounding the reduced portion 84 I provide a coiled spring 85 which normally urges the plunger upwardly and surrounding the spring 85 I provide a tube 86 made of insulation material. On the underside of the bar 83 I provide a metal plate 87 which is secured to the cross bar by a, plurality of rivets 88 and which is adapted to bridge a pair of spaced metal terminals 89 which are molded in the body portion '73 and are provided with terminal screws 90 to which wires 91 and 92 are connected.

As shown in Fig. 9 the wire 91 is connected to a suitable source of electrical energy which is shown as a battery 93 and the wire 92 is connected to one side of the magnetic device 57, while the other side thereof is connected by a wire 94 to the battery 93.

As shown in Fig. 2 the wires 91 and 92 extend from the switch 72 through an aperture 95 in the iron housing 20 and through an insulated tube 96 to the rear of the iron Where the end of the tube 96 projects through an aperture 97 in the iron housing 20.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that in operation when the operator of the iron moves the switch rod 82 down, the metal plate 87 on the bar 83 bridges the terminals 89 thereby completing an electrical circuit to the magnetic member 57, whereupon the valve closure 51 is moved to an open position as previously described.

When the valve closure 51 is thus opened steam passes from the steam cylinder 44 through the pipe 43 to the flexible conduit 41, through the flexible conduit to the tube 40 and thence through the aperture 35 in the base 12 and into the channel 33. The steam travels through the channel 33 to the grooves 28 and 29 and thence out through the aperture 31. As the steam passes through the wire mesh tubing 36 in the channel 33 the greatest majority of the condensate will collect on the wire mesh which, being heated, will with the heat from the incoming steam change the condensate back into steam.

By making the channel 33 in serpentine form the steam has a greater distance to travel and as the base is always heated when the device is in use the steam will be superheated and very little, if any, condensate will form in the channel.

In Fig. 10 I have shown the control valve 50 together with its magnetic control member as being mounted directly on the iron. When the control valve is thus mounted the switch 72 operates it in the same manner as previously described.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a novel steaming iron and a novel means for controlling the flow of steam to the iron which is simple in construction and highly efiicient in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A steaming iron comprising a base and a cover, means to secure said cover to the base, a handle on said cover, said base having a pair of grooves therein, said grooves meeting at the front of the iron and diverging toward the rear of the iron, one of said grooves having a lateral portion extending transversely of the base and positioned'intermediate the rear. of the base and the rear end of the other groove, said base having a plurality of apertures therein and extending therethrough and communicating with said grooves and means to conduct steam to said grooves.

2. A steaming iron comprising a base and a cover, said cover being arranged on said base,

.means to secure the cover to the base, said base having a pair of grooves therein, said grooves meeting at the front of the iron and diverging toward the rear of the iron, one of said grooves having a lateral portion extending transversely of the base the other groove having a lateral portion positioned intermediate the rear of the base and the lateral portion end of the other groove, 1 said base having a plurality of small apertures therein and extending therethrough and communicating with said grooves, said base having a channel therein communicating with said grooves and extending between said grooves in 1 serpentine form, and means on said base communicating with said channel and adapted to engage a steam supply line.

3. A steaming iron comprising a base and a cover on said base, means to secure the cover 1 said base having a channel therein communicating with said grooves at their juncture and extending rearwardly between said grooves in serpentine form, said channel having a wire mesh member arranged in one portion thereof, and means on said base communicating with said channel and adapted to engage a steam supply line.

JAMES E. WRIGHT. 

